Page:Life and adventures of Sir William Wallace, General and Governor of Scotland (2).pdf/10

THE HISTORY OF help of the Brucian faction, and Engliſhed noblemen, he eaſily obtained the greateſt ſtrengths of Scotland. Wallace returned the next ſummer and, ſecretly amaſſing a number of his ſpecial followers, who had lurked till his back-coming, on a ſudden ſurpriſed St. Johnſtoun by a ſtratagem; and purſuing his victory hotly, chaſed the Engliſh out of Fife. Upon the report hereof, all the reſt of his followers came from their lurking holes, by whoſe aſſiſtance he recovered divers ſtrengths. The lord William Douglas took the caſtle of Sanquhar by a ſtratagem, and finding the Engliſh captains of the neareſt garriſons coming to beſiege him, he ſent ſecretly to Wallace, who coming with his power, not only raiſed the ſiege, but chaſed all the Engliſh garriſons out of theſe quarters: from whence he came to the north parts, which he recovered with ſmall difficulty, except the ſtrong caſtle of Dundee, to which he laid ſiege.

The King of England, grieved at the fortunate ſucceſs of Wallace, and understanding that he was highly envied by the earl of March, Cummings, (the greateſt ſurname then in Scotland) and divers ancient noblemen, (from whoſe honour Wallace's renown ſeemed to derogate) he ſtirred up Robert Bruce elder, and his faction, perſuading them that Wallace was Bruce's only competitor for the crown. Having ſo made a ſtrong party for himſelf in the next ſpring he came with an army of 40,000 men, Scots and Engliſh, to Falkirk, 6 miles from Stirling. The Scots army was very great, being 30,000 ſtrong, if they had been all of one mind. For John Cumming lord of Cumbernauld, (who had an eye to the crown) had perſuaded the lord John Stewart of Bute, being tutor, and grandfather by the mother, to the lord James Stewart of Renfrew, lately deceaſed, to contend with Wallace for the leading of the van-guard, alledging that the ſame belonged to the lord Stewart's houſe by ancient privilege Wallace refuſing this, they parted one from another in high claff, there remaining with him no more than 10,000 of his old ſoldiers. Cumming with 1000 of his followers, after a ſmall ſhew of reſiſtance, fled treaſonably, leaving the valiant Stewart incloſed by two battalions of the Engliſh, by whom, after he had fought valiantly for a long time, he was cut off with all his followers. Wallace with his party defended themſelves valiantly, until they were ſafely retired beyond the river Carron, loſing (beſides ſome others)